Metro

Police confirm abduction of three UNICAL undergraduates

The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of three undergraduates from the University of Calabar (UNICAL).

Spokesperson of the Command, Irene Ugbo, who gave the confirmation, said the students were abducted on Thursday night from one of the university hostels on the campus.

However, Ugbo, who did not reveal details of the abduction, said the police were working with other agencies to rescue the students.

The Tribune Online reported that the abduction of three undergraduates took place at the Freedom Hostel, situated at the staff quarters.

The Freedom Hostel is owned by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

An eyewitness said that armed men broke into the hostel silently on March 29, 2024, around 7 p.m., and then took their victims to an unknown destination.

The witness, who gave his name simply as Emmanuel, described the abductors’ behaviour as brazen and terrifying.

He said, “The kidnappers exuded a fine level of civility during the entire process. Most of us even thought they were security personnel. Force was somehow applied when the guy resisted, yet they even had time to exchange words.

“What happened was simply a case of negligence, mostly on the side of the managers of the hostel (ASUU). It’s a private hostel, owned and managed by ASUU.

“A hostel that’s situated close to the waterway is expected to have adequate security by outputting at least an iron bar gate. To worsen the case, the hostel has not had electricity for over two weeks now.

The abducted students, whose identities were released by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Florence Banku Obi, include Dickson Oluwadamilola Ayomide of Genetics and Biotechnology, Ojang Precious Ebijin of Medicine and Surgery, and Ugwu Chukwuemeka, also of the Genetics and Biotechnology departments of the university.

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